Agriculture

Agriculture has been the main and most important source of food supply for human beings. It is the oldest profession of man, learnt and developed, for helping him in meeting his needs of food.

Table: Land use pattern in distt in 1999-2000

S.No	Land use classification	Area in Hectares	% age of total
1.	Total Reported Area	132266	100
2.	Total Cultivated Area	34500	26.08
i.	Net Sown Area	27126	20.5
ii.	Current Fallow	7374	5.5
3.	Total Uncultivated Area	97815	74
i.	Cultivable Waste	1185	0.89
ii.	Forest	40170	30.4
iii.	Not available for cultivation	56460	43
4.	Total Cropped Area	28276	21.4
5.	Total Irrigated Area	5380	4.06
6.	Total Un-irrigated Area	22059	17

 

Table: compiled from N.W.F.P Development Statistics, 1999-2000, Bureau of statistics P & D department, government of N.W.F.P. p.84

Agriculture Land:

Agricultural land means the cultivable land. As Hangu is one of the fertile districts of N.W.F.P., so it has an agro-based economy. The agricultural land in Hangu is 26% of the total area. It shows that the district has very small-cultivated area and the uncultivated land figure of about 74% indicates that the district has no vast resources of land that can be brought under the plough

According to the district socio-economic draft, agriculture and foreign remittances are the most important sources of income for the people in Hangu. In the last 20 years, a sizeable number of population has proceeded abroad mostly to the Gulf States where they earn and send money back to their homes.

Services stand third priority followed by Mazri while livestock has come to last. At least 10% of the total population earns its bread and butter by joining government service and armed forces. Mazri is the main production of Hangu. Its forests are scattered all over Hangu in different patches. Local people have the right in these forests and they receive cash money by selling the Mazri products like ban, mat, hand fans etc, to other districts. The income from this crop varies from 0.7 to 0.9 million in which 80% royalty is given to the communities while 20% goes to government as service charges. People own livestock, but generally do not raise animals for commercial purpose and they provide the families milk and meat consumption.

Table: Crops of the district, 1999-2000

S.No.	Crops	Hectares	Production	%age area
1.	Wheat	15181	9756	58.4
2.	Maize	10181	8975	39.17
3.	Rice	474	586	1.82
4.	Sugarcane	17	598	0.06
5.	Barley	15	9	0.05
6.	Gram	1	-	-